BIG IDEA:
THE ACCEPTANCE OF SUFFERING — COMPLETE DEDICATION TO THE WILL OF GOD
INTRODUCTION:
Daniel Akin: Just as Christ suffered in the flesh (3:18; 4:1), we can expect to suffer in this life (4:1). Following Christ may not always be easy. But when you follow Jesus, you can be assured you will not live a wasted life enslaved to sin (v. 1), human desires (vv. 2-3), and human approval (vv. 4-6). You will live a worthwhile and meaningful life “in the spirit according to God’s standards.” You will be prepared to meet God at the final judgment (v. 6). You will live the rest of your life “for God’s will” (v. 2). Your life will count for eternity. Why is a life without Jesus a wasted life? Peter highlights four reasons.
- A Life without Jesus Is Enslaved to Sin
- A Life without Christ Is Captive to Human Passions
- A Life without Jesus Is Applauded by the World
- A Life without Jesus Is Not Prepared for Judgment
John MacArthur: In this section, Peter calls for believers to be willing to face persecution for righteousness’ sake, and even martyrdom for Christ. His call is a call to strength, to resolve, to unwavering firmness like a soldier entering battle.The key verb in this whole paragraph is the command arm yourselves, out of which springs all the motivations to obey the command. The verb, used only here in the New Testament, is from hoplizō, an aorist middle imperative, meaning literally, “to arm oneself with weapons” or “to put on as armor.” The noun form hoplon means “weapons” and is used in six passages eg., John 18:3; 2 Cor. 6:7; 10a. The picture is of preparation for battle.
The apostle Peter provides believers with four perspectives motivating them to be strong when righteousness brings suffering and, perhaps, martyrdom. Believers strengthen their resolve in persecution when they are armed with an understanding of the attitude of Christ, the will of God, the transformation from the past, and the hope of eternal life.
Don’t shrink back from total commitment to the will of God even though you see that it will bring some suffering. Peter has already encouraged us regarding the Triumph of Suffering and the Assurance of Triumph. Now he exhorts us to Accept Suffering.
Big Idea: ACCEPT SUFFERING (from the perspective of living for eternity and in the context of commendable conduct) AND DEDICATE YOURSELF TO THE WILL OF
GOD KNOWING YOU WILL BE VINDICATED AND VICTORIOUS
The worse they can do is kill you (like they crucified Christ) and that just gains you a quicker entrance into the spiritual realm of sinless perfection (which is the goal we are longing for).
I. (:1) ACCEPT SUFFERING IN THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE
A. Our Example = The Suffering of Christ unto death
Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh,
Strange warfare: you don’t fight back, but you accept suffering.
This suffering is limited to our earthly existence which is nothing from the perspective of eternity (John 18:10-11 — a tough lesson for Peter to learn)
B. Our Armor — another weapon to add to the Christian armor
arm yourselves also with the same purpose,
“in mind” (Heb. 4:12 only other usage); program your mind correctly
patience and submissiveness under unjust treatment
we need to have the mind of Christ
C. Our Goal = Sinless Perfection — When is that goal attainable?
because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
Only after death = “suffered in the flesh” unto death!
Our Desire as Christians is to cease from sin; that is why we wanted a Savior (the thought of Christians who are satisfied with sin and just want a ticket to heaven that they can cash in when
they die is foreign to Scripture)
II. (:2-3) DEDICATE YOURSELF TO THE WILL OF GOD
so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.
this is a result of the proper mind-set (not a result of ceasing from sin); Our lives on earth should be clearly divided into 2 different periods of time and corresponding lifestyles
A. “the time already past“ — “the desire of the Gentiles” / “the lusts of men”
- lasciviousness — indecency, lack of restraint, immoral excess (2 Cor. 12:21) — actions that excite disgust and shock public decency
- sinful, passionate desires of all sorts; lusts perverting natural desires into sinful desires
- drunkenness — under control of wine
- brawls, riots — reinforcing one another in a crowd
- drinking parties
- abominable idolatries — contrary to law and justice
these must have been bad if forbidden by Roman law
B. “the rest of the time in the flesh” — “the will of God”
How committed are we to the will of God? We are very concerned (almost obsessed) with God’s will as it relates to our happiness
(finding the right life partner, best job, best house, best car)
but that is a very man-centered approach to the will of God;
What is God’s program = THE CHURCH; How am I functioning to further God’s program?
III. (:4-5) VINDICATION
A. The Astonishment of the Unsaved
And in all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them
into the same excess of dissipation,
thinking something to be foreign in nature to something else
B. The Attack by the Unsaved = they blaspheme
and they malign you;
C. (:5) The Accounting — payback
but they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
Despite what man think (cf. days of Noah), God is holding Himself in readiness to render judgment; Death will provide no escape judgment is often seen as vindication of the righteous
D. (:6) VICTORY — example of Christian martyrs
For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead,
that though they are judged in the flesh as men,
they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
In view of final judgment, the martyred believers are better off than the unbelieving Gentiles. With this end in view (i.e. the final judgment and accounting) was the gospel formerly preached also to those (martyrs) now dead, that they might be (as they were) judged in the flesh by their persecutors (and condemned to martyrdom) after the fashion of men, but might live in the glorified spiritual realm according to God.
John MacArthur: Finally, believers are to arm themselves with the genuine hope of the reality of eternal life. God has promised them that through death they will overcome sin, escape final judgment, and enter eternal heaven in holy perfection. Peter thus reminds his readers that the gospel (the saving message of Christ) has for this purpose been preached (announced) even to those who are dead (those who had heard and believed the gospel but had died by the time he wrote). Some who read this letter would have known them and realized that some of the dead saints were martyrs. Though some of the dead believers were judged in the flesh as men (physically put to death), they were triumphantly alive in the spirit according to the will of God (cf. Heb. 12:23). Peter’s point is that believers, even under unjust treatment—including death—should be willing and unafraid to suffer, knowing that all death can do is triumphantly bring their eternal spirits into everlasting life in heaven.
Peter Davids: In the light of this judgment the death of Christians is less of a tragedy than it might seem. “For,” says our author with reference to this judgment, it also means the vindication of Christians who have died. This interpretation assumes two things:
(1) that the dead are those presently physically dead, and
(2) that the time of the preaching was during their lifetime, not during the event of 3:19.